1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an anti-mine unit or assembly of very robust construction that will explode anti-personnel mines and will dig up, expose, exhume and/or explode anti-tank mines. The detonation of the mines is done under a complex cover of cables and plates in order to absorb and deflect shrapnel and blast.
2. Description of Related Art
Land mines are one of the weapons in the arsenal of modern warfare. There are land mines designed for different purposes, e.g., anti-personnel, anti-tank, etc. In time of war, it is frequently necessary to clear a minefield for the construction of an airfield, or to at least clear a path through the minefield for an advance. Minefields are often not completely cleared during wartime, and quite frequently civilians are injured by an exploding land mine years after the combat is over. Clearing minefields is hazardous duty. Several devices have been developed in an effort to clear minefields efficiently while reducing casualties which may otherwise occur while clearing minefields.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 655,584, issued Aug. 7, 1900 to Schwartz, describes a combined roller and harrow consisting of a frame rotatably supporting a sectional or two-part roller and having a cross-strip detachably secured thereto at the rear.
U.S. Pat. No. 731,146, issued Jun. 16, 1903 to Wilmeth, describes a combined agricultural machine for multiple services in the tilling of soil. The invention provides for the operation of soil-working bits or members in a circular or rotative manner.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,102,326, issued Jul. 7, 1914 to Dalsing, describes a plow having means for swinging the cultivator blades laterally in and out between rows of plants so that the ground may be cultivated between the rows.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,679,628, issued Aug. 7, 1928 to Roby, describes an attachment mechanism between a plow and drill that insures proper travel of the drill, as well as permitting sharp turning thereof when necessary.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,920,405, issued Jan. 12, 1960 to Cole, describes a combination grading tool comprising a rake carrying frame member adapted to be hitched to a tractor for suspension from the rear thereof and a scarifier unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,964,863, issued Dec. 20, 1960 to Shepherd, describes a machine with movable trunnions. Various implements, such as a bulldozer blade, a ripper, a scraper blade, a push-loading scraper, a backfilling blade, or the like, may be provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,260,003, issued Jul. 12, 1966 to Rolfe, describes a bulldozer or like implement for attachment to a tractor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,766, issued Jun. 10, 1986 to Gossard, describes a crawler tractor with a dozer blade and fitted with accessories to loosen the ground in the strafing pit area of a gunnery range and simultaneously remove from the ground rocks the size of a man's fist and larger and spent projectiles. The tractor is provided with an electromagnet positioned ahead of the dozer blade. Positioned to the rear of the tractor is a chisel bar with a plurality of chisel blades. Just ahead of the chisel bar is a rock rake that is supported with its tines at such an angle that their tips barely scrape the surface of the earth. Ahead of the rock rake, there is a drag consisting of a section of railroad rail suspended from the drawbars of the chisel assembly at a height sufficient to just scrape the surface of the ground during operation of the tractor.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,564, issued May 26, 1987 to Schreckenberg, describes an apparatus for clearing land mines that is provided with clearing elements which can freely move up and down independently of one another, and which are disposed in a movable carrier which is embodied as an attachment for a tracked or wheeled vehicle. Each clearing element is a small, rigid clearing plate having a supporting arm, which is suspended on a support associated with the movable frame, and is movable about a horizontal pivot axis which extends transverse to the direction of travel. The supporting arms of all of the clearing plates are the same length. All of the clearing plates, without contacting one another and at a slight distance from one another, are disposed in a compound arrangement which is parallel to the support and is arranged behind the latter in the direction of travel. The compound arrangement is either V-shaped, having its point facing in the direction of travel, or extends continuously at an angle to the direction of travel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,183,119, issued Feb. 2, 1993 to Wattenburg, describes an anti-snag plowing system suitable for clearing mines. The plowing system comprises several digging-knife units, or plows, and a harrow. Both are attached in tandem to a chain matrix, which is pulled with either a helicopter or tractor. The digging-knife units rotate if the digging-knives hit an immovable snag. The harrow is covered with a chain blanket, and may have magnetic or sonic wave mine triggers if the system is used for clearing mines.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,920, issued Dec. 18, 2001 to Wanner, describes a mine stripper with numerous plow blades that rotate as they dig deeper to achieve an equilibrium depth of about nine inches and a basket that presses against the top of these blades to receive dislodged mines while sifting away attached soil.
WO93/11402, published Jun. 10, 1993 to Aardvark Clear Mine Limited, describes an apparatus for clearing mines. The apparatus includes a support on which is mounted a first impact device, such as a flail rotor. Also mounted on the support are a number of ground engaging members, each of which are adapted to extend below the surface of the ground being cleared so that when the support is moved across the surface, the members expose mines in their path. After being exposed, the first impact device generates an impact on the exposed mines.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant inventions as claimed.